The African Water Resource Database (AWRD) is a set of data and custom-designed tools, combined in a geographic information system (GIS) analytical framework aimed at facilitating responsible inland aquatic resource management with a specific focus on inland fisheries and aquaculture. It thus provides a valuable instrument to promote food security.

The AWRD was designed based on recommendations of the Committee on Inland Fisheries for Africa (CIFA) and is both an expansion and an update of an earlier project led by the Aquatic Resource Management for Local Community Development Programme (ALCOM) entitled the "Southern African Development Community Water Resource Database" (SADC-WRD).

CIFA Technical Paper. No. 33, Part 1 describes the AWRD and is presented into two main sections.The first presents a general overview and is addressed to administrators and managers while the second is written for professionals in technical fields.

Case studies
It is anticipated that the AWRD will find broad applications within both inland fisheries and integrated natural resources management by providing managers with tools and data to assess potential impacts of various management alternatives. Some of the specific applications and benefits from the use of the AWRD are illustrated in this publication in the form of six case studies:

The publication is a "how to" supplement and includes a technical manual for spatial analysts and a workbook for university students and teachers.

The primary AWRD interface, toolsets and data integral to the function of the AWRD are distributed in two DVDs accompanying part 2 of this publication and are also available for download from FAO's GeoNetwork and GISFish GIS portals: GIS Data and GIS Tools